Langstone Sailing Club

HISTORY

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A Brief History of Langstone Sailing Club

The club was first formed in 1946, and now has approximately 500 full members, plus two main groups of associate members - IBM, and Langstone Sailability. Originally the Club had its headquarters across the road at the Ship public house, but moved to its present site when the toll system on Hayling road bridge ended.

Sea access to the club on the Langstone side was formerly subject to negotiating a swing bridge for the Hayling Billy rail line from Havant, and the turntable towers and Victorian concrete supporting blocks are still present, forming a useful breakwater in rough weather, while allowing boats passage in between.

The club has a strong dinghy racing tradition, inherited from one of its founder members, Sinbad Zillwood Milledge, the inventor of the Portsmouth Yardstick system for handicapping racing boats, in use worldwide. However, membership is split almost equally between cruising and racing members.

The actual Yardstick is a slide rule and still in the keeping of the club, having been preserved by the Milledge family. They also presented a trophy in his name which is sailed for each year as an individual and club team event between all Langstone Harbour Clubs. By tradition, the trophy remains at Langstone, but is engraved with the winning team's name. See the club calendar for details

The Club has enjoyed a long term association with IBM. Their members, who form an affiliated section within the club, work mainly at the company's North Harbour site, about 5 miles away to the north of Portsmouth. The section keep about 10 boats on site, Wayfarers, Lasers and Toppers and join in club racing and social events as well as organising their own training and open days.

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